Double yellow lines have now been painted on Congleton Road to stop people parking outside the De Trafford Arms.
Cheshire East Council has installed the lines from the junction with Chorley Hall Lane to the entrance to the De Trafford Arms car park.
As a result the parked cars have moved further up the hill which means that vehicles trying to pass the parked cars are forced into the middle of the road as they approach the brow of the hill.
There are double white lines in the centre of the road here, to indicate there is a hazard ahead and visibility is poor, which is why it is unlawful to park alongside the double white lines.
Ian Holley, Traffic Sgt Eastern for the Eastern Operational Support Unit, said "Cheshire East Highways has reinstated the double yellow lines outside the De Trafford Arms. With this people have started to park their vehicles further up the road, now causing vehicles to conflict while trying to pass each other.
"There is also a double white line system on Congleton Road near to the brow of a hill, the double white line system is there for the safety of all road users. We ask that people think about where they are parking their vehicles. Also that it is an offence to park a vehicle on a double white line system or as an obstruction on the highway. We intend to enforce this to keep the highway clear and safe for all users of the highway."
Cheshire Police had placed advisory notices on the cars parked on this stretch of Congleton Road this afternoon, warning drivers that is is an offence to park there, that their details have been noted and on another occasion they may receive a Fixed Penalty Notice.
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
"I have just driven up and down Congleton Rd ,and i cannot understand how on earth the council(s) concerned have allowed such a dangerous alteration to the parking problem.Coming north from Nether Alderley you are now well over onto the wrong side of the road before you reach the brow of the hill and are able to see what is coming up from Alderley Village be it cars bus or wagons,and going up from Alderley village likewise you cannot see what is coming towards .How on earth can this be safe and who has passed it?Evidently someone who neither knows this road nor drives along it.This is far more unsafe a situation now than it was before.
Come on C/E open another tin of yellow paint and do ii all the way over the brow of the hill.
If we extend the double yellow lines to certain point they will start parking outside people's homes, then are we going to turn the whole village to resident parking only?
The root of the issues is that these are cars from workers of businesses in the village. Businesses must provide parking solution to their staff. If nothing gets done by the businesses, then I think the other option is to raise business rates to pay for free parking. But then we hit the sour topic of creating more car parking space.
This will only get worst as Alderley is turning more and more like a street of food and drinks venue, which requires much more staff than retail.
Combine this issues with school run and school parking. I'm worried that soon we will witness another road fatality. All due to selfishness or people and businesses.
How many businesses can confirm that all their staff has parking provided by the business? I guess not many!
I have a small office in the village which employs both local people and people from outside the area. We have one parking space with our office and that is not for the want of trying to get more. There simply isn't office space with adequate dedicated parking so does this mean, according to your rhetoric, that AE should put up a 'closed for business' sign?
I can assure you that most businesses already pay a healthy amount of local taxes which they get very little for. With this and all the money local workers spend in the village I would suggest that we are a vital part of the local economy and as much part of the community as the residents. I think it is appalling that local workers are being treated as Pariahs when it comes to parking (see recent Resident's Parking news feed).
I do understand your point, but as James pointed out, there are some un-utilised affordable parking at around the village. Why ain't they used? because if employee has a choice of non payment vs affordable parking, they will always choose non payment.
If this continue the whole village will only have double yellow and residential parking streets.
Then everyone including businesses will suffer, the village would have more empty shops and offices.
See the following sections of the highway code which give reference to the appropriate criminal legislation.
Introduction: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_070236
Waiting & Parking : http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/TravelAndTransport/Highwaycode/DG_069860
See Clauses 240, 241 and 243.
However, the article then goes onto say that "Cheshire Police had placed advisory notices on the cars parked on this stretch of Congleton Road this afternoon, warning drivers that is is an offence to park there, that their details have been noted and on another occasion they may receive a Fixed Penalty Notice."
As it's a Sunday, let me tell you about my own experience (lesson) of Cheshire Constabulary using "Advisory Notices". These are used by officer of Cheshire Constabulary (ie the police) under their powers to use discretion when dealing with offences. Just because an Advisory Notice has been placed on a vehicle it does not mean that next time they commit the same offence they will receive a Fixed Penalty Notice (fine). Advisory Notices are not recorded in away way shape or form by Cheshire Constabulary. They are purely slips of paper put on a vehicle by a police officer who attends that specific incident. So, if the same vehicle parks in the same place every day and a different officer attend the scene each day then the vehicle may have numerous Advisory Notices attached to it.
Here endeth todays lesson.
I agree with you, Towns and villages need economic activity; no business is more important or less than another. Parking is an issue, but it needs the co-operation of businesses, local councils and law enforcers, all working together to solve what is a growing proble.
However, businesses do not pay local rates; they pay NNDR - National Non Domestic Rates, which are collected by Councils but paid over to Central Government.
2. When (sooner rather than later I suspect) C.E. develop the car park in the Park, it has been suggested that the car park might be extended, along Ryleys Lane, towards London Rd.; avoiding the football area of course. Some trees would have to go alas (tho' mature ones could be kept) and that would approx double the space.
Again unless people encourage looking at this possibility, nothing will happen.
1 = a narrowing of the pavement and 2 = tree felling. No I don't like either idea overmuch BUT if there is such a need for parking near the village centre?
Also as for this latest 'crisis' over parking on Chapel Lane, what's the answer ? Maybe a multi storey car park should be built in the village to house all the cars that bring all the people that spend all the money that keeps the businesses paying all the rates to the Council !!
As far as the NNDR (National Non Domestic Rates) are concerned, doesn't the Government pay huge sums back to local councils?